Contributed
RALEIGH – The following are highlights from this week at the N.C. Department of Transportation. The stories below are also featured in NCDOT Now, the department’s weekly newscast.
Wildflower Awards
If you’ve driven on North Carolina’s highways you’ve probably seen beautiful, colorful wildflowers along the way. These flower beds are part of the Wildflower Program, one of the department’s most popular initiatives.
Each year, highway division staff members are recognized for their work to improve the overall appearance and environmental quality of the state’s roadways. The winners were announced on Thursday during the Board of Transportation meeting in Raleigh.
Mobi Awards
This week, the first ever Mobi Awards were given out to communities that have completed transportation projects featuring at least two methods of transportation.
Transportation plays a vital role in all North Carolina communities. It connects people to jobs, medical care, education and tourism opportunities from the mountains to the coast. To meet the needs of our ever-changing and growing population, we must have a diverse menu of transportation options to choose from.
Sixty-two communities submitted nominations demonstrating how they’re working to address these needs. Top multimodal projects were selected in five categories:
• Urban;
• Suburban;
• Rural;
• Tourism; and
• Innovation.
NCDOT’s co-sponsors of the awards were the Triangle Chapter of the Women’s Transportation Seminars, N.C. State University’s Institute for Transportation Research and Education, and NC Go!
See the winning projects and communities online.
Marc Basnight Bridge Ribbon Cutting
State, federal and local officials joined members of the community for a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday for the new bridge over Oregon Inlet on the Outer Banks. The new 2.8-mile-long bridge, which opened to traffic on Feb. 25, is named in honor of former state Senator Marc Basnight.
The segment of the old bridge that will become a pedestrian walkway will retain the Herbert C. Bonner name.
For more information about NCDOT Now, contact the NCDOT Communications Office at (919) 707-2660. Additional news stories from throughout the week can be found on NCDOT.gov.
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